EC sets new guidelines for candidates

UGANDA DECIDES 2021 |VIOLENCE |

The Electoral Commission (EC) has issued new guidelines for presidential candidates.

In the new guidelines announced by the EC chairperson Simon Byabakama on Wednesday, all presidential candidates are now required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the commission, committing themselves to abide by guidelines during campaigns.

"All presidential candidates are now required to sign an MoU with us, committing themselves to abide by the guidelines we put in place so that the inflamed environment caused by these episodes is mitigated," Byabakama said.

This, Byabakama said, is intended to deal with ugly scenes between some candidates and security.

All candidates were barred from carrying out processions and convening massive rallies, but most of them, apart from President Yoweri Museveni, have defied the same, which Byabakama believes could be the problem.

Byabakama announced the new guidelines shortly after receiving a formal complaint from the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine at the  commission offices on Jinja Road in Kampala on Wednesday.

In a four-hour meeting, Kyagulanyi, who was in the company of his party's secretary general, David Rubongoya, Asuman Basalirwa and his brother, Fred Nyanzi, complained of purported constant security harassment of their candidate on his campaign trail. They cited blocking him from accessing campaign venues, radio talk shows and constant use of teargas, among others.  

Kyagulanyi also presented to the  commission pictures of persons whom he identified as victims of torture,  assaulted by security operatives  during his campaigns.

"As you are aware that we halted our campaigns on Tuesday having survived death after my car was shot at by security personnel. This is not because we expect an immediate solution, but we just want to go on record since the EC is the one responsible for this election," Kyagulanyi said.

"We have also tasked them to take charge or resign. It looks like the electoral process is being managed by the Police and the army. The EC should tell the Police to stop blocking roads and determining venues for us," he added.

Sounding unhappy, Kyagulanyi also told the EC that he fears for his life, saying he survived a bullet on Tuesday while heading to Jinja.  

"I fear for my life because I believe the bullet was meant for me but it incidentally hit my bodyguard," Kyagulanyi said.

At about 11:00am, Kyagulanyi arrived at the commission aboard a vandalised white Toyota Land Cruiser registration number UAY 432Z. 

He was received by EC spokesperson Paul Bukenya, who led him to the commission's boardroom, where they held a closed-door meeting for about four hours. Some of the commission officials, including the vice-chairperson Aisha Lubega, participated in the meting via Zoom technology. Byabakama echoed his earlier call to the candidates and their supporters to heed to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to mitigate the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the disease is real.

"If we are going to have peaceful elections, each of us has a role to play. You cannot say the EC is the sole operator in ensuring peaceful elections. If candidates and their supporters abide by all the guidelines, I don't see anyway security organs can come in to enforce them," Byabakama noted.

Responding to alleged security harassment reports, Byabakama said his team will convene a meeting between presidential candidates and the security leadership.

"Candidate Kyagulanyi has complained to us about constant security harassment and we have resolved to convene a meeting between top security heads and all presidential candidates, to interrogate the grievances and reach an amicable solution," Byabakama said.

He stressed that the EC is still in charge of the electoral process. 

"We are in the last phase of the elections and we have successfully carried out several activities without interference from anyone. It would, therefore, be erroneous for one to say we have lost track and are not in charge of the elections simply because of a few ugly scenes," Byabakama said.